Louis van Gaal was dealt with another blow during his torrid spell as Manchester United so far, after the Red Devils succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter final clash at Old Trafford on Monday night.
To make matters worse, it was discarded striker Danny Welbeck who managed to get the winner on the night and van Gaal was left with egg on his face as the England international’s replacement at United, Radamel Falcao, was just warming the bench throughout the match.
United did manage to scrape to victory against Newcastle United in their previous Premier League clash but the performance which the Red Devils put on the night was simply atrocious and if van Gaal’s side do not put in an improved display when they square off against a dangerous Tottenham Hotspur side at home this weekend their place in the top four could be in jeopardy.
United are holding on to a top four spot at the moment by the skin of their teeth and a poor result against Spurs at home means the Red Devils will to struggle to finish in the Champions League places this season once again – especially given their upcoming torrid fixture list.
Here is the Strongest Possible Lineup for Manchester United on the day –
Goalkeeper
One cannot help but feel sorry for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea. The young man has been putting heroic performances every week but he gets let down by the rest of his teammates.
De Gea was on top form once again against Arsenal despite undeservedly being left on the losing side and with the United backline in shambles at the moment, the Spaniard will need to put in a good performance against Tottenham this weekend as well.
Defence
Following a couple of solid displays, the Manchester United backline put in a disappointing performance against Arsenal on Monday night and it is looking very likely that Louis van Gaal will look to enforce changes to his defence for the clash against Tottenham.
Antonio Valencia had a night to forget against Arsenal as he was at fault for both the goals United conceded and the Ecuadorian international will probably be dropped in favour of Rafael as a result.
In central defence, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo look the most likely combination but there is a possibility that Phil Jones could also be handed a start. Jonny Evans remains banned for the clash.
The left back position will be occupied by Luke Shaw and van Gaal will surely be looking for more from the youngster following a couple of uninspiring displays over the past few weeks.
Midfield
Similarly, van Gaal should make changes to his midfield as well with Angel Di Maria being banned after his moment of madness against Arsenal.
Adnan Januzaj looks the most likely replacement for Di Maria on the wings while Ashley Young should continue on the other flank. Juan Mata also remains an option if the Dutchman decides to spice things up.
Ander Herrera was ineffective against Arsenal and there is a huge possibility that Michael Carrick could be handed a start while Daley Blind should continue in the defensive midfield position.
Marouane Fellaini has been a regular starter for Manchester United in recent times and the Belgian international looks set to continue in his role behind the lone striker.
Attack
With Robin van Persie out injured and Radamel Falcao out of favour, Wayne Rooney will once again be leading the line for Manchester United and he will be looking to continue his good run of form in front of goal.
With the presence of Rooney in attack, Manchester United have looked much more dangerous than they did a few matches ago and he will surely be key if the Red Devils are to claim a victory on the day.
(4-2-3-1)
Via – Lineup Builder
